Terrified donkeys, some only months old, are being bashed on the head with a sledgehammer. Their throats are slit, and they're left to die—slowly and painfully—all so that their skin can be boiled down for ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine.
Nearby, other miserable donkeys huddle in crowded pens where the concrete floors are coated with dung and urine and their only water is green and thick with algae. Some animals, too weak or sick to walk on their own, might be hauled off by tractor—while others have no choice but to await the moment they're dragged away and bludgeoned.
Below are photos from PETA Asia's investigations of the grisly ejiao industry.
Workers bludgeoned donkeys, slit their throats, and left them to die. Some donkeys were still breathing and moving after being hit in the head with hammers.
I know it can be devastating to see such images—and to consider that as demand for ejiao grows, more and more donkeys in Asia, the Middle East, South America, and elsewhere are being condemned to a hideous death. But exposing animals' suffering is the only way we can end it.
After PETA Asia documented workers at a Kenyan slaughterhouse beating and kicking frightened, exhausted, and even injured donkeys—and we rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters to take action—that country's Ministry of Agriculture banned donkey slaughterhouses, cutting off a major supply of donkeys' skin to China and setting a landmark precedent that we're pushing other countries to follow.
PETA's exposés and hard-hitting campaigns are turning the tide against the cruel, deadly ejiao trade wherever it operates, and we're encouraging millions of consumers not to purchase foods or personal-care products containing donkey gelatin.
This vital work takes significant resources, and this week, we're seeking help from 1,000 PETA supporters like you to strengthen it.
With your help, we'll keep building on our momentum to stop the killing and skinning of donkeys for ejiao, prevent them from being forced to haul crushing loads in scorching heat under threat of violence, and end the suffering they face for any other reason.
Thank you for acting with compassion today.
Kind regards,
Ingrid E. Newkirk
President
P.S. I know it might be a difficult time for you to make a gift. If you can't give, it would help if you could share this opportunity to assist donkeys on Facebook.
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